Head And Capstan Cleaning

The following 2 components are cleaned on a cassette player:
^ The head
^ The capstan

IMPORTANT: Do not contact the tape head with magnetized tools. If the head becomes magnetized, every cassette that is played in the cassette player will be degraded.

Use the cleaning cassette in J 39916-A in order to correctly clean the head and the capstan. The cleaning cassette has non-abrasive pads that clean the tape head, using a scrubbing action. The cassette cleans the tape head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. During a cleaning, the cassette may eject. The unit has the cut tape detection feature. The feature may mistake the cleaning cassette for a broken tape.

In order to prevent the cleaning cassette from ejecting, perform the following steps:
1. Turn the ignition switch to one of the following positions, depending on the vehicle:
^ ON
^ RUN
^ ACC
^ ACCESSORY
2. Turn OFF the radio.
3. Press and hold the TAPE button for 3 seconds. The radio display will flash CAS 5 times.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. After the manufacturer's recommended cleaning time, eject the cleaning cassette. When the cleaning cassette ejects, the cut tape detection feature is active again.

The alternative method uses a wet-type cleaning cassette that cleans the tape head using a non-scrubbing action. This cassette uses a fabric belt in order to clean the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette does not eject automatically. A cleaning cassette with a non-scrubbing action may clean less thoroughly than a cleaning cassette with a scrubbing action. The use of this cassette is not recommended.

After the cleaning, press and hold the button that has an up arrow and a line at the bottom for 3 seconds. This resets the clean indicator. The radio display will show , which will flash 5 times. The indicator has now been reset.